Incinerator



s. CLSE INCINERATOR March 26, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Deo. 1'?, 1958 INVENTOR.

"FEIl SAM CLOSE March 26, 1963 s. cLosE 3,082,714

. INCINERATOR Filed D60. 17, 1958 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i nu o o um Mu u N NNO N NN- NOM IN NN NO a IN VEN TOR.

BY SAM CLOSE (uw W March 26, 1963 c S R o m LE N T.. C N I INVENToR.

BY SAM CLOSE om i. Ww

3,032,714 INCHNERATOR Sam Close, Fort Wayne, ind., assigner to Bowser, incl, Fort Wayne, lud., a corporation of indiana Filed Dec. i7, lede, Ser. No. 7Sl,1t}2 Claims. (Cl. 1MP-) This invention relates to Van incinerator for consuming combustible refuse. The incinerator proposed in this invention is adapted for domestic use and is capable of consuming the usual organic rubble including newspapers, foodstuffs, cartons and the like. Since the incinerator is used in residential areas it is highly desirable to reduce the smoke or gaseous oxidation products of the incinerator to a sightless and odorless state for obvious reasons.

lt is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an incinerator having means for collecting the gaseous products and causing a counterow thereof during which the gases are exposed to suihcient heat to reduce the combustible content of the gaseous products and thereby render them substantially odorless and sightless. Also provision is made for removing large particles of entrained ily ash to purify the gaseous combustion product.

Other objects of the invention include means for cooling the flue gases by an inflow of air which tends to regulate the draft for effectively burning the refuse and the combustible portion of the gaseous materials.v

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel tunnel arrangement wherein flame is propagated for developing combustion of the refuse, suitable openings being provided for ejecting llame outwardly of the tunnel to ignite the refuse. Provision is also made for producing a pressure drop within the tunnel which causes induction of gases from the incinerator chamber to within the tunnel.

Another object of the invention is to provide suitable shielding means whereby the tunnel is not enveloped in refuse but has a subjacent free area allowing circulation of air upwardly from an apertured grate at the bottom of the chamber and into the tunnel through a slot running lengthwise at the base of the tunnel.

lt forms an important part of the present invention that the various components of the incinerator, viz, the grate, the tunnel, the means for reducing the gaseous products are all `easily dismantled and may be removed through the opening provided for charging the combustion chamber. Replacement parts can then be fitted through the same charging opening and readily fixed in place. The matter of `servicing the incinerator is thus greatly simplied and may be accomplished at moderate expense.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description which pro; ceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the incinerator with the inner and outer housings shown partially broken away to illustrate the interior of the incinerator;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional detail viewof the tunnel taken along the length thereof and showing thepassage of llame propagated therein which in turn causes induction of gases indicated by the arrows;

FGURE 3 is a detail view of the after chamber Where the gaseous combustion products are heated for oxidation and further illustrates how the chamber is disposed within the incinerator;

FlGURE 4 is a section view of the downpass chamber formed by a duct having the after chamber telescoped therein, the diverting means causing the ilow of gaseous products as shown by the arrows;

FrlGURE 5 is a fragmentary isometric view of the tun- Patented Mar. 26, 1953 2 nel showing the slot and baille which Velfects the pressure drop within the tunnel; and

FIGURE 6 is a detail view showing schematically how a pressurel drop within the tunnel causes an induction of gases within the combustion chamber.

In FlGURES 2, 3, 5 and `6 the parts are shown in reverse from that shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings,- andparticularly to vFIG- URE 1, the incinerator is designated generally by reference numeral 20 and includes a .housing 2l with panels of insulation at the side 22, at the back Z3 and at the front 24,

An inner housing 2S which is spaced'from the insulation panels 22, 23, 24 and having-a top4 member 27 forms the combustion chamber 3@ wherein the refuse is received.

At the top of the incinerator housing 21 (or cabinet) is a closure 31 having a door 32 which is opened to uncover a charging opening through which the refuse is charged to. the chamber 3l). The door 32 may include alayer of insulation A121),.to prevent overheating which could cause burns orV discomfort on opening the door following incineration.

At the bottom of the. incinerator is a base. 35 which holds the inner housing 2S Vslightly above iloor level.

Within the chamber Suis tunnel 38 having sloping sides lforming the top thereof. Spaced along the. length of the tunnel are a number of baffles or braces 40 with the ends thereoftbent upwardly to deflect the flow of gases (indicated by the arrows, FlGURE 2) toward the top of the tunnel. Openings 41 in the opposite side of thetunnels, formed by lancingtthe tunnel provide for projection of theflame outwardlyinto the chamber 30- to ignite the chargeof refuse. The tunnel is supported at one end 43'by the forward wallof the inner housingA 2S, a lug 44 limits longitudinal movement of thetunnel.: The other end 46 of the. tunnel is passed through an opening 5t) of duct 51 which is fastened by metal screws 52 to vthe rear wall of the inner housing 28, the duct 51 forming the downpass chamber, as will be later described.

At the end 46 of the tunnel is a baffle 55 which is fitted within a chamber 57 telescoped with relation to the duct 51. The baille causes flame to spread orfan outwardly as it emerges from the tunnel 38 and into the chamber 57.

To produce the llame within tunnel 38, there is provided a burner plate 58, burner tube 59, a pilot burner 69, and a gas line 61 for the pilot dil.' These are items of conventional construction.

Also, a thermocouple 62 ,may be included to prevent ignition ofthe main burner in the event the pilot becomes extinguished.

At the bottom of the combustion chamber v3:0 is a grate 65 having a numberof spaced apertures 66 which permit the ash residue of combustion to pass downwardly intoa bin 67 having a handle 6d by which the bin can be pulled through an opening 69 in the forward wally of the cabinet 2l. The door; 70 providing access to the bin is normally closed. A number of vent openings 201 are disposed in the bin 67.

The. grate 65 is mounted for slidable movement on runners 72.V which arefastened to the side walls of the cabinet, and a handle projecting through the forward wall of thel cabinetV provides means for manually moving the grate back and forth toY sift the ash residue through the opening 66.

In order that the tunnel will not become completely enveloped in the refuse, a screen 76 is wrapped over the top of thettunnel and the ends thereof bent downwardly to contact the grate 65. The screen thus prevents accumu-` lation of refuse or its ash Vresidue directly below the tunnel 3S so that the flame can not become smothered. In-

stead, currents of air can pass continuously upwardly from the grate to make combustion possible at the very center of the charge of refuse.

As the refuse is heated, gas is initially distilled out of the refuse. Once the refuse is ignited, the usual gaseous combustion product is generated and is collected within the downpass chamber formed by duct 51. Before the gases can enter the downpass chamber 51 they first pass through a screen '78 of approximately the same construction to screen 76 to filter out the larger pieces of material which are carried with the gas leaving the chamber 30.

The downilowing gases in the duct 51 are heated by the adjacent walls of the chamber 57, there being only a limited clearance between the Walls of the duct 51 and chambers 57, and when the gases reach the bottom of the duct 51 '(FIGURE 4) there is a corrugated diverting plate 80 which directs the gas ilow B into an upward path as indicated by the arrows in FIGURE 4. The diverting plate may be fastened to the rear wall of the inner housing 28 in any suitable manner as by screws or the like (not shown). At the apices 81 of the corrugated diverting means are openings which both provide an outlet for ily ash which is entrained with the gas and also provide an inlet for air draft in order to enrich the gas with oxygen ensuring complete combustion of the oxidizable portion of the effluent products. As the gases pass through the chamber they are passed through flame emitted from the end 46 of the tunnel 38, the end 46 being projected within the chamber 57. The area of llame substantially covers the cross section of the chamber 57, there being a baille 55 to ensure a wide propagation of the llame.

There are a number of vanes 88 at spaced locations along the length of the chamber 57 to create a turbulence ensuring complete mixing of the gases and thereby ensuring more complete oxidation. This additional burning action of the gases renders them substantially odorless and sightless, and hence they lose the usual noxious character of smoke leaving domestic incinerators. From the chamber 57 the gas is vented to the atmosphere via a flue pipe 90.

At the side 91 the chamber 57 adjacent the inner housing 23 is a panel of insulation 92 and a plurality of retainers 93. At the top of the chamber is a closure plate 94 so that the only egress for the gases is through the flue pipe 90.

The ilue pipe is tightly fitted through an opening at the rear side of the inner housing 28 but passes through an oversized opening 95 of a collar 96 which is fitted onto the outer housing 21. The oversized opening 95 allows egress of air from the space between the inner and outer housings 28, and 21, this air which is inducted and then circulated tends to cool the outer housing 21 and regulates draft for.the gaseous combustion chamber 57 as well as the incinerator chamber 30. Air is vented to the air space between the two housings by means of louvers 98 at the top rear panel of the outer housing 21 and the louvers 100 which are located at the base level. The air from louvers 100 travels upwardly to the chamber 30 through openings around the front of the bin 67. The air from louvers 98 travels upwardly on the inside of housing 21 and then downwardly to chamber 30 through openings in the frame for door 32. These louvers ensure an adequate amount of air to properly support combustion within the chamber 30.

In operation a quantity of refuse in the order of about 1% bushels (the size being only illustrative of the invention) is charged through the opening at the top 31 of the incinerator 20 after first lifting the door 32.

The pilot is then caused to ignite a jet of gas by the usual operating means, and a llame is propagated through the tunnel 38. By reference to FIGURE 6 it will be seen that the llame heated gases are pinched in the vicinity of the baflles or braces 40 causing a pressure drop according towell known Bernoullis principle, and the presl sure drop causes induction of gases through slot 130 (FIGURE 5) at the underside of the tunnel 38.

The first effect of heat within the combustion chamber is to distill off a quantity of gas which is received within duct 51 (or downpass chamber as it is sometimes referred to) and is caused to pass downwardly therein until it reaches the diverting means which then reverses the low of gas to an upward movement (FIG- URE 4) within the gas burning chamber S7.

The llame propagated within the tunnel shoots out the end 46 and is caused to spread outwardly by the baille 55. Since the end 46 is lltted within chamber 57, the llame covers the cross section of the chamber 5'7 and the gases passing upwardly therein are subjected to a heating action which consumes the combustible portion of the gas rendering it substantially odorless and sightless. The air circulating between the inner housing 28 and outer housing 2l is mixed with the gas in chamber 57 through openings S1 in the diverting means 80 ensuring an adequate oxygen supply for complete burning.

The combustion gases which are then purified are caused to pass out of the system through the flue pipe and thence to atmosphere.

The refuse is ignited by means of llame ejecting from the openings i1 on either side of the tunnel 38.

As the refuse is reduced to ash, the ash will fall downwardly through openings 66 in the grate 65 and colllect in the bin 67 which is periodically emptied by opening door 7l) and withdrawing the bin 67 through opening 69 by `sliding the bin 67 outwardly on its support 105. The grate can be periodically moved back and forth on the runners 72 by means of handle 75 to shake down all the ash residue.

T he space subjacent the tunnel is protected from refuse charge and ash by the screen 76 so that continuously during incineration, a part of the gases are inducted within the tunnel 38 by the aforementioned Bernoullis principle.

It is important to note that such gases as are drawn downwardly through the duct S1 become considerably heated by exposure to the outer walls of the chamber 57, there being only a slight clearance between the telescoped chamber 57 and duct 51. Thus, the gases are preheated and are more conditioned for oxidation within the chamber 57 by the llames shooting out the end 46 of the tunnel 38 and into said chamber 57. What gaseous material is inducted within the tunnel 38 is rapidly reduced by the oxidation conditions developed therein. All gaseous products of combustion must pass through the chamber 57 and must become exposed to the flame emitting from the end 46 of the tunnel 38 and are thereby rendered less noxious.

The entire auxiliary heat input for the described operation may be approximately 34000 Btu. per hour, including combustion in the chamber 30 and the gas burning chamber 57.

It should be further noted that the llame emanating from `the openings 4l will ignite the refuse before excessive distillation of smoke and Odors occurs during heat up of the tunnel 38.

The control assembly for the pilot and burner mechanism may consist of any standard combination valve `which employs a timer, pilot valve, pilot lter, and a shut olf safety valve. This portion of the incinerator, however, is not germane to the invention.

The inciner-ator chamber is fully insulated by means of insulation panels at the sides 22, front 24, back 23, top 110, bottom `112, and `door 32.

No manual or automatic damper is needed in operation since llue gas temperatures and draft are regulated by the inspiration of cooling air into the vent pipe (notshown). This iniiow of air is accomplished through opening as before described, the amount of inflow being caused by the combined effect of the draft in the chimney (not shown) and velocity of the efuent gases in chamber 57. t.

A further advantage of the incinerator is the ease of serviceability. For example, once the tunnel 38 is detached at its end 43 from the wall of the inner housing 2S, it may be slid out the opening at the front of the incinerator. Next, the duct 511 is detached from the housing 2S by removing screws 52, and removed. The grate 65 and duct 51 are proportioned to be removed through the opening at the top of the incinerator. The chamber 57 is readily removed by simply slipping the short section 90 of flue pipe out of its mating section (not shown) and then removed in like manner.

It will thus be seen that the matter of replacing parts is quite simple and takes a minimum of effort and can be done in less than to 15 minutes.

While the invention has been described in connection with a single selected embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that this is only illustrative of the invention. i

Such revisions and variations as are reasonably expected on the part of those skilled in the art, which incorporate the herein disclosed principles are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

T claim:

1. An incinerator for consuming refuse and the smoke products generated therefrom, comprising a combustion chamber having an inlet opening for charging said charnber with a quantity of said refuse, a grate with a plurality of apertures therein for supporting said charge of refuse at the lower portion of said combustion chamber, shielding means spaced from the grate and forming a burner passage extending through said combustion chamber and including a slot protected by a perforated barrier for receiving gaseous combustion products of said refuse, a first bathe disposed at :an angle within said shielding means, burner means for projecting a ame across the iirst bathe to create pressure drop for induction of said gaseous products, a second baiiie disposed at the end of said shielding means for spreading the flame said perforated barrier extending between said grate and said shielding means to ensure air current upwardly from said grate and into said `shielding means, means within said combustion chamber for collecting said gaseous combustion pro-ducts and directing downward flow thereof and including gaseous conducting means proportioned to extend telescopicaliy in spaced relation within said collecting means and arranged to reverse the ow of said gaseous combustion products, said shielding means being received through said collecting means with said shielding means opening into said `gaseous conducting means to expose the gaseous products therein to a burning action from -ame generated through said shielding means.

2. An incinerator for consuming refuse comprising a combustion chamber for receiving a charge of refuse therein, a grate for supporting said refuse within said combustion chamber and providing for removal of ash residue from said chamber, means forming a tunnel extending through said chamber and having means for producing iiame therein, at least one opening in said tunnel for emitting the 4iiarne to the surrounding charge of said refuse, means contained Within said tunnel adapted to develop a pressure drop therein for producing gaseous iniow from said chamber, a perforated barrier member forming a protected passage means -for the gases entering the tunnel and extending downwardly from said tunnel to said grate to impede deposition of ash products below said tunnel and forming a contiguous passageway beneath said tunnel, means for collecting the gaseous oxidation products of said refuse and separating same from said combustion chamber and including gaseous conducting means proportioned to extend telescopically in spaced relation within said collecting means and arranged to reverse the ow of said gaseous combustion products, said tunnel 4being terminated within said collecting means for subjecting said gaseous oxidation product to further combustion, and means for thereafter expelling said gaseous combustion products when they are fully oxidized.

3. An incinerator for disposing refuse comprising a chamber for receiving a charge of said refuse, means forming a Itunnel extending through said chamber and having means for producing ame therein, means for collecting the gaseous oxidation products from combustion of said refuse and directing the ow thereof in a downwardly directed path and including gaseous conducting means proportioned to extend telescopically in spaced relation within said collecting means for receiving said flow of gaseous combustion products, diverting means disposed at the base of said collecting means to direct the ilow of said gaseous products from said collecting means to said conducting means and including means for simultaneously removing entraine-d particles from said gases and admit air for mixture therewith, and means forming a part of said tunnel to direct said fla-me from said tunnel into the stre-am of said gaseous oxidation products to thereby consume the combustible fraction thereof.

4. The incinerator structure of claim 3 wherein said diverting means include-s a y-ash separating portion, )gaseous conducting means and a flue connecting with said gas-burning chamber to withdraw said gaseous combustion products which are rendered substantially odorless and sightless.

5. The structure of claim 3 including means for directing the gases from the chamber into the tunnel and including a perforated shield extending vertically downwardly on each side of said tunnel to maintain the subjacent area thereof free of said refuse and combustion residue of said refuse.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 981,228 Shannon Jan. 10, 1911 1,156,691 Kahn Oct. 12, 19115 2,010,460 McKinley Aug. 6, 1935 2,044,085 Laghetto June 16, 1936 2,545,625 McKinley Mar. 20, 1951 2,646,758 Greemen July 28, 1953 2,715,880 Hebert Aug. 23, 1955 2,847,951 Triggs Aug. 19, 1958 2,845,882 Bratton Aug. 5, 1958 2,929,342 Youn-g Mar. 22, 1960 2,936,724 Bishop M-ay 17, 1960 2,959,140 Friedberg Nov. 8, 1960 2,962,987 Hebert et al Dec. 6, 1960 

3. AN INCINERATOR FOR DISPOSING REFUSE COMPRISING A CHAMBER FOR RECEIVING A CHARGE OF SAID REFUSE, MEANS FORMING A TUNNEL EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING MEANS FOR PRODUCING FLAME THEREIN, MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE GASEOUS OXIDATION PRODUCTS FROM COMBUSTION OF SAID REFUSE AND DIRECTING THE FLOW THEREOF IN A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED PATH AND INCLUDING GASEOUS CONDUCTING MEANS PROPORTIONED TO EXTEND TELESCOPICALLY IN SPACED RELATION WITHIN SAID COLLECTING MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID FLOW OF GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS, DIVERTING MEANS DISPOSED AT THE BASE OF SAID COLLECTING MEANS TO DIRECT THE FLOW OF SAID GASEOUS PRODUCTS FROM SAID COLLECTING MEANS TO SAID CONDUCTING MEANS AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY REMOVING ENTRAINED PARTICLES FROM SAID GASES AND ADMIT AIR FOR MIXTURE THEREWITH, AND MEANS FORMING A PART OF SAID TUNNEL TO DIRECT SAID FLAME FROM SAID TUNNEL INTO THE STREAM OF SAID GASEOUS OXIDATION PRODUCTS TO THEREBY CONSUME THE COMBUSTIBLE FRACTION THEREOF. 